Tracey McManus broke another story concerning downtown Clearwater and scientology on Friday.
It speaks volumes about why scientology has been able to proceed unchecked with its announced plan of making Clearwater the “first scientology city.”
The elected officials of Clearwater are so intimidated by the organization, and so lacking in understanding of how it works, they stumble along “trying to get along.” They are forever being quoted saying “you have to play the hand you deal” and other explanations/excuses for being outplayed, outsmarted and outwitted by scientology. David Miscavige and scientology are playing a long game in Clearwater, with unlimited funds and unlimited time. The city are always trying to come up with a new plan to “revitalize” downtown in the face of the scientology blight. Those plans require money. Because they are NOT getting it from the properties that scientology has taken off the tax rolls. So, they will take it from anywhere they can get it.
Enter Trish Duggan. She (and her former husband) have given more money to scientology than anyone on earth – perhaps half a BILLION dollars. She is the most dedicated of scientologists.
It is difficult for those unfamiliar with the subject to grasp the mindset of scientologists. Hubbard made clear that every scientologist is a fundamentalist — there are no “half-scientologists”. As one of his more famous quotes goes, we would rather have you dead than an incompetent and dedicated scientologist. And his teachings (without going into a long dissertation about the Dynamics and “greatest good”) MANDATE that every scientologist, in order to BE a scientologist, must put the good of the organization above all else. What is good for scientology is good for you, your family, the community, everyone on earth. Even if the “wogs” don’t know it yet.
The story reports on the efforts of Mrs. Duggan (the real beneficiary of “Big Pharma” though scientology alleges they are my paymaster as “proof” that I am an evil being intent on destroying mankind) offering to use her drug money wealth to buy the symbolic Clearwater City Hall building to expand her glass museum.
According to the article, those in charge of the city planning claim:
Duggan is the only museum operator who has met with the city’s architectural consultant for Imagine Clearwater.
Community Redevelopment Agency director Amanda Thompson confirmed Duggan is willing to pay for construction of a museum on the City Hall site and all operations.
Oh, how generous is that?
And it goes on:
When the city ended up buying the vacant lot for the Imagine Clearwater project, Miscavige cut communication and the flood of purchases took off. Of the $103 million spent by companies buying properties over the next three years, $99 million was paid in cash.
Duggan took part in the wave of purchases. In July 2017, a limited liability company run by her Imagine Museum vice president bought a one-story office on North Garden Avenue for $1.4 million in cash.
The city is being mesmerized by the cash:
“What do we do if our best partnership opportunity to bring something people will love is with a parishioner?” Thompson asked. “In my mind we set it up in a way that protects our interests, and that’s what we can do. The city can’t continue to subsidize every single thing, which is what is happening now.”
Assistant City Manager Michael Delk said: “The challenge is to find a tenant that is really worthy of having that kind of level of commitment long-term as a part of the park in terms of museum quality,” Delk said. “How many owners of world-class art are there out there to even attract? Ms. Duggan’s art collection I think almost unquestionably would be considered world-class art.”
How many owners indeed? Just one apparently. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
In Clearwater, the man with the cash and willing to spend it is king.
They will parse a “parishioner” from “scientology” as if they are two different things. Because, you know, scientology would call us bigots if we painted them all with the same brush and said a scientologist is the same as the organization. It’s what scientology does routinely. It scares politicians silly. But it’s a hoax. Because the interests of scientologists ARE the interests of the organization. It’s a shell game that plays the “bigot card” to its full potential.
Unfortunately, since the 80’s the city has had little backbone when it comes to scientology.
The final word from the Clearwater Mayor, who, in scientology terms, would be labeled “suppressively reasonable”:
Cretekos said he believes Scientology’s aggressive real estate acquisitions downtown are unrelated to Duggan’s interest in the City Hall building.
“I hesitate lumping those two together because in my mind we’re talking about two different things,” Cretekos said.” I go to a museum not because of who owns the museum but because of what’s in the museum.”
This is EXACTLY why Clearwater needs to elect Mark Bunker to the City Council.
Nobody is willing to stand up and say “Are you kidding me? A scientologist buying City Hall will be the final nail in the coffin of this city. The last symbolic gesture that scientology has turned Clearwater into the first scientology city they promised. Believe me, that IS what they will be saying. And when some years down the line, the organization decides they need to buy the property to build a new shrine to L. Ron Hubbard, don’t delude yourselves that Trish Duggan won’t sell it to them for $1.”
This is what Mark Bunker would understand. Because he knows the dynamics. It is why it is so vital to elect him.
If you want to support his election campaign — please go to his website markbunker.com.
PS: Thankfully, Tracey reports sale of the property will ultimately require a referendum — the voters don’t seem to be so unwilling to speak their minds as their elected officials do:
It will be up to the council to decide whether the City Hall property should even host a museum. And the lease or sale of the charter-protected City Hall property, as well as the former Harborview site, would ultimately have to be approved by voters in a referendum.
Hello Mike,
Please can you tell us some practical steps we can take to help in the struggle to free CW?
I sent an email to Mark offering to help him with some financial support and I was very surprised that he never replied to me.
I would like to ask anyone who reads this post and has had a similar experience to please post here so that Mike can know just how often this has happened. I certainly hope it has not happened very often.
A Bunker making muddy water to clearwwater? Why not in the name of ckearing.
This is a longshot but, anybody familiar with a company called “Merchant Stronghold” out of Clearwater?
It is a credit card merchant account provider that caters specifically to scammers, typically the India-based tech support scammers that everybody is familiar with by now. The person who owns them, also owns companies that do these tech support scams. They were in the game well before it blew up to the ubiquity it has today.
I was always curious about a possible Scientology connection, given that the constant need for more and more cash has driven many within it’s ranks to pull similar nonsense, with MediCal billing and whatever else they can get into.
I was listening to someone discuss the theoretical basis for a future wealth tax on billionaires and they made a point that it’d exist for the same reason you tax properties: taxing property, encourages them actually being used, for something, anything.
Clearwater is probably the best real-world example of the reason property tax is justified, for the good of everyone. It just makes sense, from the self-interest of Miscavige, to buy up the whole town, even if there is no purpose other than holding those properties as investments, to maybe sell in a decade or two.
He is cheating the system, and his fellow man, killing the local economy, driving people from the area. But what does he care? Demonic howdy doody pipsqueak
The report by Tracey stated a percentage of these properties purchased in the last 3 years were paid for far above the going rate.
Doesn’t that then inflate the tax accordingly? And then if they don’t cost the city because they are not used it gives a bit of benefit to the otherwise dead downtown anyway (from what I’ve heard) so it would be a matter of the city utilizing that ‘extra’ income to otherwise attract new business around the area?
Some stuff from the internet.
[Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 107,685.[5] Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County[6] and is the smallest of the three principal cities in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area.]
The population estimate for 2016 was about 217,000. I might guess the number of scientologists living within the city limits and surrounding area would temporarily increase and then decline.
Also – “What is Clearwater best known for?”
Clearwater is famous first and foremost for it’s wide white powdery-soft beaches. There are many beach bars and seafood restaurants to check out, usually with live music on the weekends. There is also a daily sunset market at pier 60, which includes arts, crafts, music and local characters.
and
Clearwater is also known as the home of Scientology, which has purchased many buildings in the downtown area. Scientologists from around the world come here for training – much to the chagrin of local non-scientologists.
Are there enough non-scientologists in clearwater to elect someone the church doesn’t approve of?
Mark, there are only a few hundred scamologists in CW out of a population of 120,000
Absolutely. Their numbers, even in that area, are not near what they claim. I forget the overall subject, but Mike did a great post sometime back discussing their numbers and how, even if they had the numbers they claim in that area they wouldn’t control the vote or be a “majority” of residents. The one area where they do wield influence and have a majority is the downtown business owners board/committee that was discussed last month (and was the meeting Mark Bunker posted a recording of his attendance of their meeting and the statements he made to the board about how to get more people spending money downtown). They are now in a majority, but that voting bloc consists only of about 150 business owners (I believe it is – but again, Mike posted about it and Tracey McManus wrote about it, so that’s the best place to check numbers) from downtown, so that is of course going to be one area that scientology does have a toehold.
Overall however, I think this upcoming election may spur many who have been dissatisfied with CW’s weak stance w/co$ and tired of the downtown blight, to get out and vote. If that truly happens and local citizens activate and make their voices heard via the election, it will place other elected officials on notice that their constituents are NOT going to tolerate this passive stance as co$ continues to take over downtown.
I’m thinking they have from 1500 to 2500 residents in Clearwater, but a lot of those may not be citizens.
The reason is Clearwater residents gave up long ago. Most have no clue what they are planning. Its way more then just the museum. Meanwhile imagine Clearwater is spending 65 million to revamp Coachman Park…thus further enriching the property values of Scientology. Improving the view from Tom Cruise apt on top the former Amsouth Bank building.
They did not want Clearwater Marine Aquarium downtown, they dont want tourists, they dont want non Scientology business. They dont want you
Could it be that Downtown Clearwater was already sunk, or well on its way down, long before the Sea Org ever arrived there? I’m not enough of a Clearwater historian to know what happened before Hubbard’s troops decided on the Fort Harrison, but I know it was for sale, and the area met Hubbard’s list of priorities for a city that he thought could be taken over.
Maybe it’s time to face the reality that Downtown Clearwater has already been bought by Scientology, and nothing will bring it back under taxpayer control. Sell the CoS any remaining city property for whatever price the city can get. Then re-draw the city boundaries, excluding the core of Scientology-owned downtown, and let the Church develop its own city government and city services – police, fire, elections, building codes & inspections, everything.
Let them own a city. Make them pay for their own city services, their own infrastructure of roads, garbage disposal, environmental compliance, sewers, water, electricity, and the hundreds of services they now obtain at little or no cost. Let them deal with Police and Firefighters and Garbage Workers unions. Let them try to run a secular school system.
Then let the Church deal with the Federal discrimination lawsuits sure to arise when Scientologists run the show. Let them try to deal with the Federal laws regarding educating special needs children, or providing mental health care, or helping the homeless and addicted, or providing low-cost housing to people who would rather pitch a tent on the sidewalk than live in SO berths.
In other words, let the insulated bubble-world of Scientology deal with real life for a change.
Good points Ammo. I’ve seen a lot of comments in the TBT after these articles where many locals say to refocus energy and funds more towards the Clearwater Beach area. A majority of commenters say downtown is lost unless the cult loses tax exemption or is irreparably damaged by charges and/or lawsuits to the degree that they’d spent their massive reserves.
I know it sounds drastic, but would that actually be possible to annex off a portion of the city to subsidize itself? I’ve seen that occur here in Southern California where a certain portion (typically underdeveloped) is suddenly built up w/residential and some commercial then over time they carve out what eventually becomes another community then town. But that’s always come at the request of those within that area and often because they’re in unincorporated territory, therefore tax funds go into the county general fund, so that becomes a means to keep the sales tax they’re generating “in-town” so to speak and have direct control & decision-making power. I’ve never heard of that initiating by city or outside forces to UNincorporate an area already included within a city boundary.
IMHO that would have to be approved by the county and they’d likely block efforts as they don’t want that cost or responsibility being pushed onto their plates (or budget! $). Most likely that would only be approved if negotiated between CW & co$, and there’s no benefit there except DM could say he has his city (& he does like throwing money after nothing just for how it looks/sounds…???).
I could be totally wrong, though! I love the idea and I’ll bet much of CW would support that.
Funny, but I was researching that earlier today — how to de-annex. It’s supposed to be very difficult, but that might be a way to go. I personally, have a great objection to letting them have any more property. However, I also have a great objection to my paying higher and higher taxes to subsidize them when they got their tax exemption by bullying the IRS, rather than going through legitimate channels.
Just Wondering going through the IRS is the correct channel to get tax exempt status
Of course, but I don’t imagine you’re supposed to combine that with 2400 personal lawsuits against IRS agents, to the point that they throw their hands up and say, “We give up. Just make the lawsuits go away and you can have whatever you want.”
My wording may not have been perfect, but I thought everyone was well informed about how they got their tax exempt status.
“Of course, but I don’t imagine you’re supposed to combine that with 2400 personal lawsuits against”
REALLY? According to the US Constitution that is how one could do it. I am constantly shocked at how any Americans are unfamiliar with the THE most important law in the land
Unfortunately, say what you want about her, she is putting a future there for the cult. She is a good girl, and doesn’t listen to bad news or anything that violates the ethics codes. She is setting an example for other cultists. When she goes all-in, others are following her play. She is responsible for more than she donates.
Catty Remark Alert:
Endlessly rich, and yet the brass bottle blonde, rouged-up Duggan woman manages to look like she’s wearing her grandmother’s carpet and the madam of a whore house at the same time. How could she even dream of leaving the house looking like that?
She could also pass for the mother of the bride at one of those Traveler weddings.
Makes one wonder how deluded you can get as a Scientologist. Looking into the mirror gets to be a lie.
She’s not a “good girl”. She’s “being right”, that’s all. She has already given scores of millions but the basic concept she’s operating on is no different than a much poorer Still In who has donated much less. They are INVESTED. They MUST be right, OR, they have to face the fact that they are fools who’ve been scammed.
We exScientologists on the outside have our differences but we all have at least one thing in common and that is our willingness to acknowledge and confront that the cult made fools of us. We had to come to terms with wasted time, wasted effort and wasted money. We had to confront all of that. And we did. And here we are.
They cannot. That’s why they’re still IN. They CANNOT confront the truth. So they dodge it. And they keep giving – to make themselves right, so that they don’t have to confront, and the more they make themselves right is the more they dodge the truth, and so on and so on.
But they know. You think they don’t know? I say, “Bullshit”. They know. They just cannot, will not face it.
Trish Duggan is just being right. She’s a blowzy, not too bright, badly dressed bimbo whose only claim to being somebody is her connection with this cult – the cult, which in turn ONLY gives her the time of day because of the money she gives them.
If the money stopped, she’d be NOTHING to them, and she KNOWS that. You think she doesn’t know that?
Other than being in a vastly richer she’s just like the other Die-Hard Still Ins who keep giving and giving, many well beyond their means. They can’t handle the truth, that’s all. (Thank you, Jack Nicholson.)
These less rich and even ALSO know that that the ONLY criteria for their worth AS BEINGS to the cult is the money they give the cult, and that if that money ever stopped, they’d be nothing to the cult. They KNOW this. Don’t think they don’t know this!
And by the way, where is BOB Duggan, lately? HE is the one that made the billions, after all. Where is he? Why isn’t HE up there, getting his tin trophy, his little pat on the back from Miscavige?
And, last but not least, as regards Mrs. Duggan, anyone, in my opinion, with her vast wealth who walks around with brassy yellow hair like that, well that akibe proof enough to me that there’s something wrong with her, mentally 🙂
Horrible grammar, typos, spelling, incomprehensible in places – I was too emotional and inpatient, sent it off with rereading and editing – sorry!
“WithOUT” rereading and editing.
Bob Duggan married a Dentist lady who he took over Trish. He was in Costa Rica last week and then accepted an award at the University of California at Santa Barbara college where he met Trish in the 60-70’s time period. Bob looks really great dressed in black. his new wife is very attractive and I supposed she quit Dentistry.
Don’t You Be Sorry – YOU DONE GOOD ! ! !
LOL! Thanks 🙂
Aqua –
TBT had an article this week about Bob Duggan where he says he’s absolutely still a scientologist, uses it everyday and attributes much of his success to it. He also claimed he’s given much more than the claimed $350million cited in Forbes, but that he’s keeping a lower profile these days.
Interesting, thanks, jennyfurr. A “lower profile”, eh? As are all the other whales and celebs. Wonder why?
I know – that seemed odd to me, too. I didn’t know about the dentist George mentioned, though I think either Mike or Tony had posted back when discussing if Bob D was distancing himself after the divorce that he had someone younger and new that he was with all the time. And I don’t think she’s a scientologist. Of course, co$ did help them pawn off an adopted child or two, so perhaps he’s saying nice things so they keep his confidences?!
@jennyfurr –
Duggan attributes “much of his success” to Scientology. Swell! Only, if you don’t mind, he’d rather, um, you know, not have his name linked to it, er, right now…
Joining TC, JT, Elizabeth Moss and Laura Prepon, another Whale distancing himself from the toxic PR of the Cult of Scientology! Because, its, um – bad for business!
I hope this logic will be presented to the mayor and the other city commissioners and to the people of Clearwater. No offense to Trish Dugan, but, like Mike says, she will buy the city hall property and eventually sell it (or give it?) to Scientology. How could this be acceptable to the citizens of Clearwater?
This blog, today, should be required reading before anyone in Clearwater can pass Go or eat Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe someone can write a nice editorial for The Tampa Bay Times. (???)
What would be wrong with building this special museum on a different piece of property that is already owned by a Scientologist? How about on the Trickel’s Jewelry Store property that is sitting vacant?
If a condo building with retail space on the ground floor were built on the city hall site, wouldn’t that bring more people downtown than a museum that people would (might) visit once?
I mean, maybe someone can write a letter to the editor. ( Not an editorial.)
Once Scientology has taken over Clearwater entirely, who will pay for the infrastructure, roads, drainage, etc., in that area? Will Scientology take responsibility or will the taxpayers foot the bill?
The taxpayers of Clearwater already subsidize these things. Every time scientology calls the CWPD taxpayers are footing the bill.
All the tax payers are responsible for domestic water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and all future upgrades to the system involving these cult castles. Wake up Clearwater! Go Mark Bunker.
This is probably a silly question, but can you vote someone Out of the Council, as well as In?
BELYNDA, you mean the provision for voters to recall a council person. I saw no such provision but it could be buried somewhere in a city code
Wynski – Thanks for answering, and, Please . . . . . . . . . . .
Start Digging!
Deanoftruth, in FL counties that is paid for by water usage rates. Property taxes cover things like public schools.
If you look at this pdf pg. 46 you will see that the avg fl city gets 13% of its money from property taxes and 87% from other sources.
https://floridataxwatch.org/DesktopModules/EasyDNNNews/DocumentDownload.ashx?portalid=210&moduleid=34407&articleid=18214&documentid=827
Wynski-
Is the 87% “other sources” likely from local sales tax? If not, how else do they make their money?
I’m in CA so I know things may operate quite differently there and that’s why many retirees end up down there (state tax structure).
Jenyfurrr, I gave the link so people can read it. the details are in the pdf. for FL cities the largest hunk comes from fees and fines
Thanks! I’ll pull it up and check out the details then (was on phone when I’d asked before).
No matter how you slice it, the co$ presence combined with the impact on downtown cost CW a LOT of money! And yet these guys just continue to tiptoe.
Thanks Wynski! I can say the country does differ in places.
Ultimately they will have big buildings and few parishioner. It doesn’t work so they browbeat people into staying. With internet they are doomed. It’s just buildings as a symbol of their wealth from a few rich donors.
I also know that Still Ins are being “encouraged” to relocate to Clearwater and buy condos, etc.
And they are encouraged to use Tom Cruise’s sister as their Realtor.
Jesus, its all so crooked, so rigged, its like Tameny!
Edit: “Tammany”.
-Tammany- Hall
Good question. Appearances are that the Still Ins I know who’ve bought in CW can afford to do so. Some of them did not relocate but bought so as to have a “hotel room” when they audit on 7, etc. That said, without seeing their tax returns, who knows? As comfortable as they may outwardly appear, they could be deeply in debt. Or whatever. As we all know, its not what you make but what you get to keep after all the debts and bills, etc. that determines actual wealth and if you’re even solvent!
Can any of them afford to – without going further into debt?
It’s difficult to defeat an opponent when the playing field is not even.
This reminds me of comments I have seen that speak of David Miscavige’s intelligence and how he could have been successful as a CEO of a big company.
I have no doubt Miscavige is an intelligent man. Most sociopaths are.
But a LARGE part of Miscavige’s “success” has been achieved because of illegal behavior and his abusive control of others.
Most of us would be able to take over Clearwater if we had $3 BILLION dollars and an army of fanatics who were willing to commit crimes
Chee – Stop letting their ‘Money’ intimidate you – all of you. You all have Much more;
not only do you Outnumber them, but You All Can Vote! ! ! For once and for all –
Wise Up / Fight Back!
Chee – you (and every body else) are letting ‘their Money’ intimidate you. You All have Much More; you not only Outnumber them, but You All Can Vote!
Mark Bunker must be elected. Good luck Mark.
These celebrities operate on faith in Scientology because not one of them has developed any sort of OT powers even with all of that money. Trish’s husband said that he is a Scientologist and reads something by Hubbard every day. He made billions as a venture capitalist out of the University of California, Santa Barbara. They work on cancer research. Interesting that there is no cure for cancer either.
But I think that Clearwater must make all of this backfire. The only way to make a backfire is to rename Fort Harrison Avenue to “Xenu’s Avenue”. Rename Cleveland street to “Farsec Street”, Rename Drew Street to “Marcab Street”. etc. When the tour buses come in to watch the Scientology “fishtank”, every street is renamed and used as a landmark. Develop a counter museum to Trish’s museum by formulating a “true history of religions” museum which shows Scientology as Satanic. Millions upon millions of tourist dollars can be generated for Clearwater. Good luck.
Ah, you left something out. You forgot to name a thoroughfare after the most theta being in the universe. You know, the supreme exalted ruler of Teegeeack and the MEST Universe!
No, not Donald Trump!
Sheesh!
Yea, and Cleveland Street should be CULT Street.
So Trish wants to buy city hall??? There are 3rd world countries she could buy, but no, she wants Clearwater. I think she saw ‘The Glass Menagerie’ too many times.
$cientology and its minions are free to engage in any legal commercial venture they want. There is nothing that Cleawater or anyone can do about that.
The citizens of Clearwater have voted with their feet and wallets and avoid the $cieno area like the plague that it is. Nothing is going to change that.
On the plus side, if Clams buy up all the old city buildings, the local government could move to a nicer neighborhood.
Tracy McManus and the TBT are doing wonderful work. Please subscribe or donate to Tracy’s gofundme account. The truth can’t get out unless the reporters can eat.
Now, Zee Moo! Trish is a devoted Scientologist! Buying a third world country would be out-exchange as the country would be so mired in poverty that they wouldn’t be able to pay her back. And Trish would never do anything that’s out-tech.
She wouldn’t get any more humongous trophies if she did.
I wish the city officials could do something. They don’t even try, it’s so sad watching your hometown turn into a joke of a city, controlled by a cult and their money. Wake up people I
And they don’t even get it.
Can you imagine how seriously horrible it would be to have scamatology in charge of governments? They are closer to this in CW, and look how fricken crazy it is. You would get a parking ticket, and go to pay it and the clerk says “What were you doing parked in front of that entheta store?” You need to go to the MAA to get an interview. You want to sell your house, they won’t let you because you aren’t “in good standing.” You call the police because someone broke into your house and stole some jewelry. Cop asks “What did you do to pull this in?”
Now THAT’S fucking scary!!!
I could reply, but it require barracks language.
And anyone who’s a Kha Khan could not be convicted of a crime! Or even arrested or prosecuted!
Yo Police, just ignore an “ethics chit” on any Upstat! Throw it in the wastebasket!
Sure, that would work!
Exactly. And to apply for a building permit would require a long series of security checks, at your own expense of course. All mail posted through the post office would have to be opened and read, all phone calls through the telephone system would have to be monitored. Every Wednesday sirens will wail so everyone can practice the Blow Drill training. All taxes will be paid directly to the church and there will be a special levy for COB’s birthday. And…
Despicable, money-hungry, vulturous cult! Why is all their attention on the big bucks instead of providing real benefits to members? Oh yeah, because $cientology is TRULY and ONLY about the MONEY. Oh, and also because there are NO RESULTS anyway. Their “tech” is nothing but a fucking scam. Trust me. I can attest to that after 35 years “in”. Now how’s that for a success story?
Well that’s a very poor success story. Were you Sea .Org member and never got any auditing or training except for your post? What could possibly hook you on Scientology for 35 years if you weren’t getting results?
If you were public, you mean to say NO RESULTS on:
1. The Purification RD ?
2. Objectives?
3. The Grades?
4. The Student Hat?
5. Life Repair?
6. The books and tapes?
None of it?
C’mon, there is more to this story. Who sticks around for 35 years if there are no results? Why did you do it?
If you were a Sea .Org member and got put on post and never got the training and auditing you were supposed to get because you were being driven to “ produce “ then I can understand NO RESULTS.
It’s because there are no results to be gotten, just a bait and switch. All your questions and doubts will be resolved at the next level, so pay up and get on with it. If there were no gains, either large or small, to be gotten at the introductory levels no one would proceed any further. People end up spending years chasing a pie in the sky that can never be attained, because the tech is bogus and made up by a con man.
Dear K Francis,
Weather Watcher summed it all up very well for me. Beyond that I have to admit I was totally stupid and that is what kept me “in” (both as public and SO) for so long. It also permitted the cult to bilk me out of about $300 during my years in. Quite embarrassing to say the least. But I am thankful I found the cahonas to confront the truth, wake up, cut my losses and walk out.
Maybe you’d like to share your story?
I’ll keep it short. Got interested in 1980 and never lost interest.
I left in 2012 after Debbie Cook’s letter and moved to the independent field where I found auditors who trained under Ron and have moved up the Bridge in a way that would not have been possible in the church. Best move I ever made.
Currently on L-10 and will always be a Scientologist-just not in
Dave church.